Chapter the Second
A leather-clad figure staggered across the frigid landscape clutching a cloak tight around him.
"A simple job, he says. Just break into this house and get me this necklace, he says. A couple of guards and only a couple of simple traps, he says. That was not a SIMPLE trap," he mutters to himself.
Trudging slowly through the windswept snow, the rogue occasionally stumbled, always regaining his feet and forcing himself to continue on. The plain seemed endless, with small hill he somehow managed to avoid. Finally, he fell on his knees and looked to the heavens.
"What did I do to deserve this?" he shouted to the sky, not expecting an answer.
Then his nose picked up a faint scent carried by the wind. Looking about, he sniffed the air, seeking the elusive scent.
"Aha, a fire!," he muttered aloud, "maybe I can finally get warm."
It didn't take him long to spot the line of smoke in the distance, and he rose slowly to his feet. With slightly more speed then before, he began to walk towards the fire.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The cloaked rider jerked its head to the right, seeing a far-off speck, something wearing leather, muttering to itself.
"He shall beee firsssst.." the rider hissed.
The cloaked one spurred his horse with its plated boots and charged towards the man, passing miles of snowy landscape with unholy speed. All the rogue could himself see was a speck, but it was growing larger by the moment.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The priest, noticing the leather-clad man and the black rider, stood up, gathering his spear and gauntlets. His spear glowed with in inner light.
"Lord help us, it has begun"
Dred pulled his scimitars from their sheaths.
"You sense a battle, priest? If that is what is required, but do not fight alone, friend. I have a feeling we need to work together, probably, or our lives may be lost."
Dred kneels down with the scimitars crossed in front of him, and lowers his head.
"Father, guide these blades that lead your victories past. I will avenge you, father.."
He rises and begins to follow the priest, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. Kadar raised his head, and sniffed the air.
"I am not sure, Dred of Ardinon. The wind carries many scents. This may well be another of my nightmares.."
The priest brought his spear to his brow saying a small prayer of his own.
"Father, guide my hand this day,"
Kadar then raised a slightly trembling hand in the general direction of the horseman.
"Can you feel it approaching, Dred of Ardinon?"
What could be felt is only an empty feeling, .. a feeling of dread .. of something powerful beyond mortal men. It charged towards the rogue, who was himself heading towards the fire.
All thought could be seen was the glint of sunlight off the rider's crimson greatsword, which it carried in one hand as normally as a normal man would a longsword.
"I smell a horse," Dred responded, "there are more close by."
He sniffed the air again.
"I smell four maybe. There is also a hint of another animal. I do not recognize the smell, but it is there, lingering in the wind. I feel confident that we are not alone, but I do not know whether they are friend or foe. Let us hope friend, eh?"
"If you can hear me, state your intentions," Dred yelled in a bellowing voice, "we are but weary travellers in this realm."
He turned to his horse, signalling to Kadar.
"Here, let use save our energy for the coming trials that we will face. My horse is strong and will carry us."
The priest nodded.
"One is riding fast, charging maybe. Others are approaching from other directions, like they are hunting or searching.."
Kadar got up, grunting with pain. He checked his gauntlets.
"You lead, Dred of Ardinon."
The cloaked figure stopped his horse and looked to the source of the voice. It noticed the fire and sniffed the air, smelling a horse. Good stock, but not enough to match the speed of it's own mount.
"I ccoooommmmeeeeee to seeeeeek yoooouurrr deeessstruuuuction.." it replied in a loud, raspy voice.
It spurred its mount again, with a new target. The black steed bounded across the snowy hills towards the ranger and priest.
"May the gods be merciful" Dred muttered.
He moved back and watched the man on the black horse charging.
"Do you know this fiend? I must say that I do not and I do not know why he attacks. My friend, I hope you're up to this. You don't, by any chance, have aby tricks up your sleeve, do you?"
Hearing the horseman's voice, Kadar froze, shaking.
"NONONONO, this can't be happening to me!"
He coughed and then regained his composure, looking to the skies.
"A good one, Lord! Unholy beasts, now?"
Kadar looked to Dred, flames of rage dancing in his eyes.
"You take the rider down, I'll send the mount back to Hades. Beware the sword, it may be cursed."
"We cannot be much worse off than we already are. I agree with you" Dred replied. He watched as the rider approached with a cloud of snow behind it. 'If the god of these lands has a higher plan for us, I hope he's watching' he thought.
"Cursed swords be damned, my friend. It seems our only option is to fight" Dred said in a steely voice.
A leather-clad figure staggered across the frigid landscape clutching a cloak tight around him.
"A simple job, he says. Just break into this house and get me this necklace, he says. A couple of guards and only a couple of simple traps, he says. That was not a SIMPLE trap," he mutters to himself.
Trudging slowly through the windswept snow, the rogue occasionally stumbled, always regaining his feet and forcing himself to continue on. The plain seemed endless, with small hill he somehow managed to avoid. Finally, he fell on his knees and looked to the heavens.
"What did I do to deserve this?" he shouted to the sky, not expecting an answer.
Then his nose picked up a faint scent carried by the wind. Looking about, he sniffed the air, seeking the elusive scent.
"Aha, a fire!," he muttered aloud, "maybe I can finally get warm."
It didn't take him long to spot the line of smoke in the distance, and he rose slowly to his feet. With slightly more speed then before, he began to walk towards the fire.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The cloaked rider jerked its head to the right, seeing a far-off speck, something wearing leather, muttering to itself.
"He shall beee firsssst.." the rider hissed.
The cloaked one spurred his horse with its plated boots and charged towards the man, passing miles of snowy landscape with unholy speed. All the rogue could himself see was a speck, but it was growing larger by the moment.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The priest, noticing the leather-clad man and the black rider, stood up, gathering his spear and gauntlets. His spear glowed with in inner light.
"Lord help us, it has begun"
Dred pulled his scimitars from their sheaths.
"You sense a battle, priest? If that is what is required, but do not fight alone, friend. I have a feeling we need to work together, probably, or our lives may be lost."
Dred kneels down with the scimitars crossed in front of him, and lowers his head.
"Father, guide these blades that lead your victories past. I will avenge you, father.."
He rises and begins to follow the priest, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. Kadar raised his head, and sniffed the air.
"I am not sure, Dred of Ardinon. The wind carries many scents. This may well be another of my nightmares.."
The priest brought his spear to his brow saying a small prayer of his own.
"Father, guide my hand this day,"
Kadar then raised a slightly trembling hand in the general direction of the horseman.
"Can you feel it approaching, Dred of Ardinon?"
What could be felt is only an empty feeling, .. a feeling of dread .. of something powerful beyond mortal men. It charged towards the rogue, who was himself heading towards the fire.
All thought could be seen was the glint of sunlight off the rider's crimson greatsword, which it carried in one hand as normally as a normal man would a longsword.
"I smell a horse," Dred responded, "there are more close by."
He sniffed the air again.
"I smell four maybe. There is also a hint of another animal. I do not recognize the smell, but it is there, lingering in the wind. I feel confident that we are not alone, but I do not know whether they are friend or foe. Let us hope friend, eh?"
"If you can hear me, state your intentions," Dred yelled in a bellowing voice, "we are but weary travellers in this realm."
He turned to his horse, signalling to Kadar.
"Here, let use save our energy for the coming trials that we will face. My horse is strong and will carry us."
The priest nodded.
"One is riding fast, charging maybe. Others are approaching from other directions, like they are hunting or searching.."
Kadar got up, grunting with pain. He checked his gauntlets.
"You lead, Dred of Ardinon."
The cloaked figure stopped his horse and looked to the source of the voice. It noticed the fire and sniffed the air, smelling a horse. Good stock, but not enough to match the speed of it's own mount.
"I ccoooommmmeeeeee to seeeeeek yoooouurrr deeessstruuuuction.." it replied in a loud, raspy voice.
It spurred its mount again, with a new target. The black steed bounded across the snowy hills towards the ranger and priest.
"May the gods be merciful" Dred muttered.
He moved back and watched the man on the black horse charging.
"Do you know this fiend? I must say that I do not and I do not know why he attacks. My friend, I hope you're up to this. You don't, by any chance, have aby tricks up your sleeve, do you?"
Hearing the horseman's voice, Kadar froze, shaking.
"NONONONO, this can't be happening to me!"
He coughed and then regained his composure, looking to the skies.
"A good one, Lord! Unholy beasts, now?"
Kadar looked to Dred, flames of rage dancing in his eyes.
"You take the rider down, I'll send the mount back to Hades. Beware the sword, it may be cursed."
"We cannot be much worse off than we already are. I agree with you" Dred replied. He watched as the rider approached with a cloud of snow behind it. 'If the god of these lands has a higher plan for us, I hope he's watching' he thought.
"Cursed swords be damned, my friend. It seems our only option is to fight" Dred said in a steely voice.